Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The invention relates generally to umbrella stands, and more specifically to a cooler or xe2x80x9cice chestxe2x80x9d with a receptacle for receiving an umbrella pole to support an umbrella.
Umbrellas are often used for shade, such as at a beach or park. The shade provided by an umbrella is desirable for several reasons, such as relief from the heat, or to avoid becoming sunburned. Beach umbrellas are typically fairly large, and can be difficult to anchor in some situations. Particularly, some beaches may be rocky or be of heavy gravel, and not allow easy insertion of the umbrella pole into the soil. Similarly, it may be desirable to provide shade on a lawn, where it would be difficult and possibly inappropriate to drive an umbrella pole into the lawn.
One solution to providing support for a shade umbrella is a heavy base, such as are commonly known as a flag stand. Such supports are often seen in outdoor cafxc3xa9""s, for example, and usually have a large concrete, iron, or other heavy base with a socket in the center to accept the umbrella pole. Often, the bases are circular to allow them to be rolled to the desired location because they are so heavy and awkward to carry. However, it is impractical for an individual to carry such a stand any appreciable distance, such as down to the beach. Such stands also generally only support the umbrella pole in a vertical direction. A tilting mechanism is commonly provided on cafe umbrellas; however, this feature is often omitted on beach umbrellas.
Another approach generally uses guy wires or ropes, in conjunction with spikes, to support the umbrella. This assumes that the guy ropes can be secured to something or that a spike can be driven into the soil so that a rope may be attached. Not only do several soils, such as beach sand, provide a poor anchor, the guy ropes are inconvenient and create a tripping hazard. The umbrella is also cumbersome to move to another location, such as to adjust it for a change in the angle of the sunshine or in wind.
Some people fill buckets or bags with sand, rocks, or the like in order to make a support. However, one usually has enough to carry when going to the beach or park without additional bags and buckets, and it is usually desirable to spend one""s time in pursuits other than filling a bag with sand or rocks. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an umbrella stand that is not unduly cumbersome to transport or set up. It is further desirable that such a stand would allow for tilting adjustment of a rigid-pole beach umbrella, as well as being able to move the umbrella to a different location with minimal effort.
The present invention provides a cooler, also known as an ice chest, with an integrated receptacle for an umbrella pole. Persons visiting a beach or park often carry a cooler containing various refreshment, hence in those instances it is not necessary to carry an additional device for supporting an umbrella. In a preferred embodiment, the receptacle has two hinged or folding rings mounted on a side of the cooler. The rings are folded out to allow insertion of the umbrella pole through both rings. When the umbrella pole is removed, the rings may be faded essentially flat with the side of the cooler to allow easy stowage or transportation. The receptacle is molded into the side of the cooler of the same material as the cooler shell, such as polyethylene or other plastic. The combination of a hinge with a ring secures the umbrella pole in the event wind lifts the umbrella, i.e. if the umbrella pole is pulled while allowing the hinge to articulate. The pole is easily removed by holding the ring essentially normal to the pole and sliding the pole out. In an alternate embodiment, a pole lock mechanism is provided. The receptacle allows the end of the pole to be inserted into the soil for further support, if desired. In an alternative embodiment, the receptacle has two rigid rings molded into a recess in the side of the cooler, presenting a flush side for stowage or transportation.
In an another embodiment of the present invention, a conventional cooler is converted to operate as an umbrella stand by the addition of a receptacle to the side of the cooler. The receptacle can be a set of hinged rings, for example, attached to the side of the cooler with a contact adhesive, or with screws or rivets.